5 Tricks To Get Freshman Essentials On The Cheap

When you think about the word “college” and the word “enrichment,” do you think about your brain or a university’s profit margin? College is damned expensive, even if you’re going to community college, but it’s also supposed to be the time when you test both your brain and liver’s resolve against all-nighters, caffeine and keg juice. It’s supposed to be a party that expands your mind, or at least make you less unemployable. But you can’t have fun if you waste what little spending money you have on the wrong or overpriced swag. We here at the Guy Code Blog have some tips on how to spend your money the right way when you get to college.

1. Buy a Used Mini-Fridge

Everyone wants one of these for their college dorm, but they’re not the most affordable. Thing is, aside from that creepy senior who’s still living in your dorm, most people get rid of theirs after a year or two. Scour Craigslist or eBay and you’ll find a great used one. And don’t cry about it having a little mildew in it. Be a man, use some elbow grease and clean it out. Besides, the only things you’ll be putting in there will be protected by cans, glass or oceans of salt.

2. Forget The MacBook

Yeah, everyone wants a Macbook Pro, but let’s be honest: it costs almost as much as a semester of tuition, and very few people are using it to its full advantage. Ditch the laptop and go with a tablet and a bluetooth keyboard. In college, most of what you need a computer for is to type up term papers, find out where the party’s at on Facebook and research, in that order. With a tablet and keyboard, you can do all of that and take it anywhere just as easily as you can a laptop. It might even be a conversation starter at the library.

3. Make Friends With Rich Gamer Kid

You can work all summer and save up enough money for a video game system, the games, the four controllers and the flatscreen, or you can befriend the rich kid with all that stuff. You definitely want to do the latter, since your dorm-mates will treat your console like crap and beer will be spilled on everything. Make sure to show up most nights with a cheap six-pack or 40-ouncer “to share,” so you don’t seem like a mooch. You can still drink most of it, just make sure the rich kid gets some.

4. Buy Shower Sandals

Showers in dorms are known for being nasty. Pay whatever you need for these sandals. It’s better than the cost of Athlete’s Foot medication and losing women due to your butt-gnarly foot stank.

5. Work At A Cool Food Spot

There’s no better way to save money at college than to work in food service, as long as you maintain an upbeat, “one for me, one for the customer” attitude. Think about it, every time you go to work, you get to eat for free while also avoiding the grilled chicken and pasta they serve every day in your school’s dining hall. Plus, you’ll be the guy who brings food home to your buds in the dorm, you hero.